. 2003 Apr;9(4):426–431. doi: 10.3201/eid0904.020417

Table 1. Parameter estimates for calculating the cost of diarrheal illness during the cryptosporidiosis outbreak, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1993.

Parameter	Mild illness^a	Moderate illness	Severe illness
% of infected persons with diarrhea	87.99 (6)	10.92 (6)	1.09 (6)
Medical costs
Inpatient healthcare costs
% with hospitalization			100
Cost of hospitalization	–	–	$6,312^b
Outpatient healthcare costs
% with physician visit		95^c	29^b
Cost of physician visit	–	$45^d	$45^d
% with emergency department visit		5^b
Cost of emergency department visit	–	$224^b
Ambulance transport
% of emergency department visit/hospitalization with ambulance transport	–	4.9^b	16.3^b
Cost of ambulance transport	–	$228 (11)^c	$228 (11)^c
Medication
Self-medication before seeking healthcare
Duration of illness before seeking health care, mean days	4.7^e	5.8^b	18.4^b
% taking medication	30^c	30^b	29^b
Cost of medication	$5.73 (12)^c	$5.92 (12)^c	$6.74 (12)^b
Medication prescribed after seeking healthcare
% taking medication	—	54^b	48^b
Cost of medication		$8.91 (12)^b	$70.52 (12)^b
Recurrent episodes
% with recurrent episodes (and assuming 100% take medication)	21 (7)	21 (7)	21 (7)
Duration of recurrent episodes, mean d	2 (8)	2 (8)	2 (8)
Cost of medication	$2.44 (12)^c	$2.44 (12)^c	$2.44 (12)^c
Productivity losses
Productivity losses for ill persons, mean d	1.3^e	3.8^e	13.5^e
Productivity losses for caregivers, mean d	0.1^e	1.3^e	3.9^c
Earnings lost/d	$81 (13)	$81 (13)	$81 (13)

^aReference nos. are in parentheses. ^bMedical chart review. ^cAuthor assumption. ^dCity of Milwaukee Health Department. ^eRandom digit dial survey conducted by the City of Milwaukee Health Department.